The present invention relates generally to portable telephones, and more particularly, is directed to a portable telephone with a speaker which can be integrally connected therewith.
It is known to provide speakers in telephones in order to enable hands-free operation by a user. However, such speakerphones have conventionally been mounted at the front face of the telephones so that acoustic power is radiated outwardly from the front face of the telephones in a generally single direction. As a result, there is a large loss of acoustic power with such an arrangement.
Specifically, a portable telephone contains only enough space for a very small speaker therein. As a result, such telephones have a limited acoustic output and very compromised speech fidelity. Further, the inclusion of a speaker in a portable telephone results in a larger telephone, which is contrary to market demands for smaller and lighter telephones.
Although it is known to provide larger speakers that are external to the telephone, this detracts from the portability of the telephone.